2021 Season
The Cardinals made history once more under Wright-Cates in her fourth full season at UIW as the team took second place in the Southland Conference Championship. UIW beat Houston Baptist University 4-0 in the quarterfinals to advance to the second round of the tournament, the furthest the Cardinals had ever gone. After defeating McNeese 1-0, UIW advanced to the championship game against the top seeded Northwestern State University. The team GPA has improved to 3.6 and the Cardinals have racked up 1,475 service hours over the last three and a half years. Wright-Cates took a team that was the bottom of the league to the championship game in four seasons through a pandemic.
2020-21 Season
After the fall season was pushed to the Spring of 2021 due to Covid, the team finished 6-5-3 overall to end the season sixth in the Southland Conference out of twelve teams.
2019 Season
During Wright-Cates' second year at the helm she guided the team to the program's first postseason berth to the Southland Conference Tournament. The Cardinals made history by placing fourth overall in conference play with a 8-10-1 record (7-4 SLC), winning more games in the 2019 season than in the past three seasons combined (2016-18). With 25 team goals and 257 shots, the UIW squad racked up more goals than in the 2017 and 2018 seasons combined; this was also the most shots since 2013. The Cardinals continued to excel academically since Wright-Cates took the reins during the 2018 season, earning a perfect 1,000 single year APR in 2018-19 and bumping up the multiyear APR to 990. The student-athletes maintained those strong endeavors in the classroom and community during the fall of 2019, as the team garnered a fall semester GPA of 3.489 and achieved 219 community service hours.
2018 Season
Under head coach Emma Wright-Cate's first year at UIW, the Cardinals improved their win total from last season. In Southland Conference play, UIW advanced to 3-7-1, after holding a 1-9-1 conference record the season prior. UIW concluded the 2018 season having climbed three spots in conference ranking before the SLC Tournament. The Cardinals put up more shots in the 2018 season with 159 (2017: 154). UIW allowed 33 goals this year overall, a marked improvement after conceding 41 in 2017. UIW is currently ranked 15th in the country (Division I) in saves this season.
2021
- One All-Regional Team Player
- Three SLC All Tournament
- Six SLC All Conference
- Five SLC All Academic
2020
- One 2020-2021 NCAA Women of the Year Award Nominee
- One USC NCAA D1 Scholar-All Region
- Two SLC All Academic
- Four SLC All Conference
2019
- Two SLC All Academic
- Five SLC All Conference
2018
- One accolade Sam Bately - SLC All-Conference Honorable Mention (now 3rd team SLC).
ABOUT
Emma Wright-Cates was tabbed as the fifth head coach of the University of the Incarnate Word women’s soccer program on Dec. 8, 2017.
“I am excited to welcome Emma and her family to UIW,” Director of Athletics Brian Wickstrom said. “Her soccer experience, family values and coaching philosophy will help deliver a top student-athlete experience as we compete for championships in the Southland Conference.”
A native of Greater Manchester, England, Wright-Cates has had coaching stints with George Washington, Christian Brothers University and fellow Southland Conference member Southeastern Louisiana.
Wright-Cates briefly stepped away from collegiate athletics prior to the 2014 season and returned to England to help care for her terminally ill father. She returned to the United States in January of 2015 and founded Pass and Move, LLC, a consulting company that trains high school student-athletes in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and assists with the process of searching for and preparing for the right college.
Wright-Cates served as an assistant coach at George Washington from 2012-14 where she worked with recruiting, fundraising, scouting, community service and travel. Under Wright-Cates’ guidance, the Colonials improved from 5-12-1 in 2012 to 12-6-1 in 2014.
Prior to her time at GW, Wright-Cates spent three years as club director for Fort Worth FC. Within the club, she helped coach the Forth Worth Panthers of the Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL). Wright-Cates’ duties included working with developmental age groups, assisting with competitive teams, fundraising, coordinating and managing spirit wear, producing monthly newsletters and assisting with Fort Worth FC camps and club tournaments.
Before joining the Fort Worth FC staff, Wright-Cates served as an assistant coach at Southeastern Louisiana from 2007-09. She helped the Lions advance to the Southland Conference Tournament semifinals in both 2007 and 2008. In addition to her NCAA Division I coaching experience, Wright-Cates also coached at Division II Christian Brothers University in Memphis, Tennessee, from 2005-07.
Wright-Cates played at the collegiate level at both Division I Central Connecticut State and Division II Slippery Rock. Throughout her three seasons at CCSU, she helped the Blue Devils to their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament's second round. A three-year letterwinner with the Blue Devils, Wright-Cates was a first team All-Northeast Conference selection and was named the Central Connecticut Sportswriters Player of the Year after helping CCSU win two NEC titles. Wright-Cates transferred to Slippery Rock for her senior year and earned All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference after helping The Rock to the PSAC West title in 2004.
Before coming to the United States, Wright-Cates played in England's Women's Premier League for both the Doncaster Belles and Everton, the latter of which won the premiership title. She was also a member of the National Women’s Football Academy from 1998-2000 and competed in the England National Team U-18 trials in 1998.
Wright-Cates holds, her USSF Licenses, United Soccer Coaches Licenses, Tovo License, a referee license, and a Goalkeeping Diploma.
Wright-Cates graduated from CCSU in 2005 with a bachelor's degree in art, specializing in graphic design. She completed her master's degree in education at Christian Brothers University in 2007. Wright-Cates is married to Vassar Cates and has three children, Phoebe, Finn and Leo.
